Stephen Colbert: Oregon mass shooting discussed on Late Show

It may appear inappropriate to combine a segment about the tragic events in Oregon with comedic jabs at Donald Trump, but on Friday night’s episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert wasn’t aiming for jokes as much as he was targeting what it means to pretend.

“I can’t pretend that it didn’t happen,” Colbert said. “I also can’t pretend to know what to do prevent what happened yesterday…”

The host said pretending was part of the problem regarding Thursday’s shooting. “These things happen over and over again and we are naturally horrified and shocked when we here about them. But then we change nothing. And we pretend that it won’t happen again.”

Colbert admitted he didn’t know if better mental health treatment or stricter gun laws were necessary, but said he did know that pretending and insanity are usually connected. “One of the definitions of insanity is changing nothing and then pretending that something will change.”

Colbert then segued into the rest of the segment about Donald Trump, congress, and “honest insanity.”